"The Commander's Courage" Excerpt: At Your Service

 

"Look out!"

I ducked against him as a column of purple-suited messengers swept past us, right down the middle of the hallway. We continued, pressed against the wall, till the last of the column passed, and then we could enter the doorway.

"Why did they just have to take up the entire pathway like that?" I spluttered.

Marx shoved his hands into the pockets of his uniform and nodded his head toward another messenger heading our way. Only then did I notice the metallic face plates showing through the synthetic skin, like Cher had.

"Androids," Marx confirmed what I had just figured out. "Supervisors like to use them because they're replaceable; they are programmed and sent on their way, and if one of them gets damaged, the message is beamed to the nearest messenger-droid, and the dead droid is cleaned up."

"Oh, Private Denvamir!" A young woman in a lab coat dashed up to us. She looked almost human, except for the gills instead of a nose, and the massive blond beehive of hair on her head.

"I'm so glad you're here! We've been trying to figure out what's wrong, but—"

"Yeah, that's just worthy!" Marx snapped. "Just show me the problem."

She nodded. "Emess is over here."

We followed the woman past racks of droids, each receiving some kind of servicing: I saw a charging station, a polishing station, a repair wing, and even a bank of “offloaders” where the droids plugged in and downloaded the messages they had—at least, the non-private communications. The files they contained flashed briefly on the screen, flickering messages of live communiqués and various photos and videos, some from different locations on—planets, I guess—and some from different sectors of the ship. I saw schematics and blueprints and text files too. One wing held the non-android messengers: straight-up robots that were basically walking or flying screens with antennae, which people could navigate using a bulky wrist remote. I saw a couple of those evil red boxes zipping by my ankles, and I instinctively huddled against Marx, but they scooted right on by me. I admit I did stick my foot out and intentionally “tripped” one of them, but it righted itself almost instantly, and it left me with a sore toe. I quashed my disappointment as we headed toward the sound of a stuttering digital voice.

"At your—At your... At your ser-ser-servi-servi-ser-ser-ser-ser—"

An android lay sprawled on a table. Its body was mostly intact—only a few dents and dings. The only indication there was anything wrong was the way its head flopped to one side, twitching and bouncing as it stammered.

"Sir, sir, service-vice-vice-vice—"

Marx grimaced. "Is there a way to turn it off?" He grumbled over the racket.

"We tried," muttered a human technician. "The kill switch isn't responding."

"Vice-vice-vice—"

Just when I was sure I would start going crazy next, Marx delivered a sharp blow that glanced off the android's metallic head. The stuttering stopped, and Marx winced and flailed his hand to shake away the pain.

"Thank you," said a voice.

"Don't mention—" Marx stopped speaking at the same moment I realized that the droid had thanked him. I saw the young tech stiffen, and he shook it off as he turned to gather the tools.

"Whatever caused the damage must have knocked the speech regulator loose," he murmured.

"I do not recall what caused my fall," stated the android in a perky voice. "I was delivering a message to the command sector, when I discovered that I lay on the floor, nearly incapacitated."

Marx waited until the droid sat silently before commencing work on the wiring in the android's neck.

Another tech asked, "Do you remember anything between the time you delivered your message to the time when your compatriots found you?"

"Warning, message not delivered," declared the android. "Data Transfer fai—" the digital voice stopped as Marx twitched a wire. The component connected to it's head sparked when Marx brought the tool close to it.

"Ouch," said the android.

Marx winced again. "Sorry—" He shifted the wires, bringing two into close proximity and causing another spark.

"Ouch."

"Yeah, hang on, I'm just—"

"Ouch."

"Could you stop? I'm almost—"

"Ouch."

"You're an android; you don't feel pai—"

"Ouch."

Finally, Marx located the source of the problem: one of the processors had fried.

As opposed to the computer in the science lab, which he had treated with respect and moved carefully to fix, here Marx ignored the protests of his patient and hauled the faulty processor out from among the circuitry. Slipping the wires out, he grabbed another board off the work desk next to him and attached the wires to that. A flurry of sparks danced over the android's body as it spasmed, and then the head came upright and it sat up on the table.

"Attention, the problem has been solved," it said. "All systems normal."

Marx stepped back and grabbed my hand. "There, fixed it; let's go."

The girl with the gills made a happy fluttering noise. "Thank you so much!" She called after us as Marx made for the door as fast as he could walk.

I was practically tripping over the seams in the walkway as I tried to keep up with him.

"Hey, hold up!" I called after him, and he slowed, but his face was still sulky.

"What's the problem?" I asked.

"Nothing, I'm fine," he retorted.

We stood awkwardly facing each other, though Marx wouldn't look at me. I couldn't help feeling somehow culpable, though I couldn't figure out what I had done—or not done.

"Dude," I finally just let the words out, without worrying whether they were appropriate for the context. "What is your problem? Is it me?"

Finally, Marx met my eyes. "No, it's not you, Laura," he huffed. "It's just... Androids, you know—" he muttered.

I tilted an eyebrow. "No, Marx, I don't know; why do you have such a problem with androids?"

His jaw tightened. "It's not just androids, though." He waved his hand, "it's all this automated stuff, the fact that we can design machines to look and function like humans, but... They aren't." He shrugged. "Guess it's just the old-fashioned upbringing I had."

I tried to give him a sympathetic smile. "Want to grab a meal and talk about it?" I offered, nodding back toward the galley.

Marx rubbed the back of his neck. "I dunno," he mumbled, "sure."

We set off together down the walkway that bisected the ship.

Reading List 2016: Ranked Reading List 1

 *Not pictured above, because they were ebooks: Gunlaw, by Mark Lawrence, and Michael Vey and The Prisoner of Cell 25, by Richard Paul Evans; cover images and links included for those titles below.

#10: The Map of Chaos (Triologia Victoriana #3) 

Felix J. Palma

Sheer chaos from beginning to end. I thought and I hoped it would be better, but the longer it dragged on, the worse it got, finally stumbling to a shambling, misshapen monster of an ending. Boo. The "Triologia Victoriana" was a series I happened to spot on the "Staff Picks" shelf at the library. It had a fairly high rating on Goodreads too; the blurb drew me in, promising a genuine romp through Victorian classic literature. What I got was a haphazard, ponderous mess of somebody else's really strange pipe dream, mashing up all the dark and weird bits of said classics. Each time, I cracked open the thick tone, hoping for something fascinating—endearing, even—after the "debut jitters" (I assumed) of the first book, largely attributed to the fact that the book wasn't originally written in English, but translated. (Still... Inkheart and the Ruby Red trilogy weren't originally in English either, and those are freaking fantastic!!) That being said, I will own that there were brief moments of a poignant sentence or two amid the doggerel and purple prose (the ugly kind of purple that wishes it were mauve but cannot quite manage plum so it ends up a really ridiculous, sick kind of faded color), but the characters were insufferable and the plot nearly incomprehensible. Not worth the time it took to read it, really.

#9: Michael Vey and the Prisoner of Cell 25 (Michael Vey #1)
Richard Paul Evans

Pretty decent for a YA. This is one of those books I was always seeing around because they were somehow popular among YA, so I equated it with the Percy Jackson series, or even Artemis Fowl. I had yet to check it out from the library, but I ran across it on Wattpad, so I thought, "Why not?" The answer: "no reason... Just don't ever do it again." It wasn't horrible, but it wasn't quite all that fantastic as I was hoping. I appreciated the execution of the premise: a secret genetic experiment left seventeen kids with special electricity-related abilities. Some of the kids had disabilities: one was blind, and the main character has Tourette's. However, a lot of the interactions and conversations were both generic and often "leading"—as in the only reason they are speaking is for exposition or to get another character to say a specific line... But okay, it's a "kid's book" so what am I complaining for?

#8: The Calder Game (Chasing Vermeer #3)
Blue Balliett

Entertaining, wistful, intriguing. A bit off-kilter with the psychology of it, the worldview, but it's definitely deeper than the fluffy, empty stuff of juvenile literature. It's been a while since I read a Balliett book! The intrigue is always well-paced and fascinating, very much mystifying and confusing till everybody figures things out and explains it so that the rest of us understand what is going on. These books are certainly great for budding art enthusiasts looking for an intriguing adventure consisting of high-profile-yet-obscure creators of abstract art!

#7: Driving Heat (Nikki Heat #7)
Richard Castle

Wow. I can actually tell a change in the writing style. I was kind of excited when I first realized these novels were intentionally written as if Richard Castle penned a new novel inspired by his experiences of each successive season. With this in mind—I felt like even this latest installment really did a good job of reflecting the harrowing and painful circumstances of the last season. The grittiness, the sense of betrayal, the brutality—all are sharply different from the amorous, steamy idealism of the previous novels in this series! Very good, but very dark.

#6: Gunlaw
Mark Lawrence

Pretty great. If you've paid any attention to past reading lists on this blog at all, you know the name Mark Lawrence. I pretty much race about his books every chance I get. So when he started posting a brand-new story on Wattpad, only a few weeks went by before I caved and got an account specifically to read this thing. (I ended up starting three stories of my own, but okay!) 

I was NOT disappointed! Lawrence populated his stories with a handful of core characters and deceptively simple concepts, which then give him room to rapidly develop these things and expand them over the course of the tale as it unfolds, pulling the reader inexorably deeper into the world he has fashioned. The most difficult part was being "forced" to wait two to four days between installments, instead of just reading on through the whole thing in the fewest number of sittings. To be fair, it was better than a TV show, because he updated twice a week, not just once. But the wait just about killed me sometimes! Really good stuff!

#5: The Doomsday Code (TimeRiders #3)
Alex Scarrow 

Just splendid. Twists as always, but I am caught up in the fascinating turns this story is taking, and the situations faced by the different characters. Can I just stop and appreciate how much Time Riders has defied my expectations and furthermore delighted me at every turn? No premise too far-fetched, no paradox left unanswered. Last time, they had to go all the way back to a prehistoric era—this time it's medieval times, the time of King Richard and Robin Hood. The story also brings somebody along from the kids' future, who knows more about time travel than they do. There's more development with Bob and Becks (endless sources of entertainment!) more about Liam and Foster... Wonderful stuff! The storyline with Maddie can get kind of cheesy, but I am neither put off nor annoyed at it. Score!

#4: The Well of Ascension (Mistborn #2)
Brandon Sanderson 

WOWIE KAZOWIE. Oh Sanderson, you wonderful human being. If I could ever achieve the character depth of Rowling and the whimsy of Funke, adding the compelling prowess of Sanderson–I would be a very happy fantasy writer! This Mustborn series is taking my breath away in all the ways, frankly, that I expected of Dune (but it never quite managed...). The rich world, the vibrant characters, the ancient prophecies guiding the plot forward... All of these combine in just the right amounts to deliver a story worth paying attention to. Definitely some "kill your darlings" moments, with all of the feels attached to characters you didn't know you cared about—but I am very much looking forward to the next book!

#3: The Guilty (Will Robie #4)
David Baldacci

Guess what? Will Robie is still at it! I had convinced myself that it was a trilogy—then I saw this one, and I distinctly remembered the abruptness and openness of the ending of "The Target" and how that left me with not very much closure—of course that wasn't the end! "The Guilty" honed in on Robie confronting the demons of his past, the bad blood between him and his estranged father whose abuse, both verbal and physical, is what drove Robie to leave all that behind and join the military, intending never to see his father again... But he has to put all that aside to investigate the truth behind the allegations that Dan Robie murdered somebody. Twists and secrets you never see coming till they hit you hard enough to blow your mind—Baldacci wins again. Intense and poignant—another rousing success.

#2: The Liar's Key (Red Queen's War #2)
Mark Lawrence

Boom, baby! This series is turning out with a lot more laughs and breathless moments than the last one! How do I love a Mark Lawrence novel? Let me count the ways! After the dark, tortured bloodbath of the Thorns trilogy that introduced me to the Broken Empire and the state of the world after the Day of Thousand Suns, it seems Lawrence is really letting his comedic (albeit gallows humor) side show in this series. I'm calling it "Jal and Snorri's Epic Adventure!" Sure, it's still grim and dark with plenty of murder and vicious mayhem... but the number of laughable moments has definitely shifted in balance between violence and humor! I love it even more than the last series. I am very excited for the final book, Wheel of Ossheim. Bloody brilliant!

#1: Winter (Lunar Chronicles #4) 
Marissa Meyer

OH ALMIGHTY YES!!! It has been how long since I read Cress? (Hint: MORE THAN A YEAR!!) Now at last, I reach the moment I have been nearly tearing hair out over... and it delivered. Hoo boy! Did it deliver!! The most perfect adaptation, and excellent closure I could have wished upon star for. All lovers of cyberpunk and fairy tales should absolutely read this series! Winter not only introduces last character in our main cast, but it also gives readers the final showdown against Queen Lavinia that we've been waiting for since Book 1!! Glorious full of feels. Definitely number one on this list!

The Suggestion Box, Vol. 3: "One Thousand Words" List #28

Suggested By: Me

The List:

-Paul Williamson

-Museum

-January

-Park Bench

The Result:

"Serenity's Light, Part 5" 

The woman with dark-red hair sat placidly on the bench in Central Park, hardly conspicuous in the neat smoky-blue top she wore, sunglasses covering her eyes as she flipped through a magazine, purse strap nearly dangling from her shoulder.

Inconspicuous, except for one thing: It was currently the dead of winter in New York.

Nerissa concentrated on the warmth radiating from Serenity's Light still hanging around her neck, to keep from shivering. Why couldn't she have swallowed her pride and kept the cloak she had worn in the Middle Ages? 

The answer seemed simple enough: the reason she wasn't wearing it is because it was from the Middle Ages, and anyone who saw it would doubtless know and get suspicious and she would be inviting both attention and trouble and she could afford neither at this point. Was it her fault that the portal she took had dumped her into one of these people's gigantic enclosed marketplaces, so she bought the nearest articles of clothing without bothering to determine the season—or purchase a covering of some sort as well? No, of course not; she had been hoping to return to the Forgotten Wood with the Relics, but apparently something in the atmosphere affected the portals; she could only move within the same day, to different locations on Earth, through a portal. Nerissa was cut off from the other dimensions. She would have to find another way.

Sitting alone in the cold and dreary greyness, Nerissa chanced a surreptitious glance toward the oblong case at her side. No one questioned it, she discovered; apparently they assumed its contents to be a musical instrument, as ordinarily it would. No one could guess that the case contained an antique sword, a crown, and a collar. Nerissa sighed and turned her gaze to the grey stone path beneath her feet.

That was the other effect of what Nerissa could only assume was a lack of magic in the air: the Relics were nothing more than baubles to her, literally nothing more than a crown, a sword, and a collar—at least, as far as she could tell. The sword gave her no miraculous strength, and she was already predisposed for longevity, so the crown was of no use... And she knew better than to try on the collar, for fear that she might forget her mission.

Nerissa pursed her lips and glared at a crow hopping around with a piece of brightly-colored trash in its mouth; the mission... She had to find the Lore-Master. He alone could activate the Relics and combine their true power to open a portal to her world and return Serenity to its rightful place.

Someone stopped in front of her. Nerissa surveyed the thick clothing the person wore. It added so much bulk that she couldn't tell if it was a man or a woman till it spoke in a deep voice.

"Are you cold?"

Man, then; Nerissa eyed him closely. He seemed to prefer staring at her when she wasn't staring back, shifting his eyes away when she tried to hold his gaze, yet examining her closely when she focused elsewhere. 

She felt the sensation of fingers on her skin and nearly ripped his arm off with the force of her reaction.

He stepped back and tucked his arms close to his sides. "All right, I'm sorry! Your skin feels like ice." His green eyes filled with concern. Judging by the wrinkles around them, he was likely an elderly man. "I live in the apartment just behind you there," he pointed. "You're welcome to come in and warm yourself. I am sure my wife can find you a coat for this weather." His gaze dropped to the case at her side. "It's probably not good for your instrument, either. The cold could warp the wood."

Nerissa almost corrected him, saying that the contents of the case were not made of wood, but she remembered what it was supposed to look like and refrained from saying anything. She accepted the man's invitation with a nod as she stood.

The man grinned. "I'm Paul; what do we call you?"

"Neris—" The word was almost out of her mouth when Nerissa remembered: if there had been someone else trying to acquire the artifacts to release the Darkness in this dimension, then that someone was likely already here. Revealing her name would give an unknown enemy power over her. 

"Nerys?" Paul repeated. "That's a wonderfully unique name." He smiled and gestured toward the building across the street. "Come, let's get you inside, Nerys."

Nerissa clutched the violin case in both arms, trying to keep the metal objects from clanking as they moved through doors and up some stairs. They came to a door with the number 309 on it. Paul didn't bother knocking, but opened the door and walked right in. He gestured for Nerissa to follow.

The moment she crossed the threshold, a warmth surrounded Nerissa, so strong and real that it made her shiver to think how she had convinced herself that Serenity's Light was keeping her warm. Here was true warmth. Once the shivering began, her whole body quaked violently. A silver haired woman rushed forward with a heavy blanket that brushed the floor. Nerissa hardly noticed Paul taking the case from her hands as she snatched at the banker and pulled it around herself.

"That's my wife, Betty," said Paul. Now that he was hat-less, Nerissa noticed that his hair was grey like the woman's. "Betty, this is Nerys; I met her in the Park."

Betty surveyed the quivering woman askance. "In that?" She remarked, clicking her tongue. "Oh, you poor dear!"

Nerissa relaxed into her hostess' sympathy—until she heard the latch on the case crack. Leaping up and casting aside the blanket, she lunged for Paul. 

"No!"

He finished the other latch. "I just want to see if your violin is okay—" The words died on his lips as the light from the electric lights reflected on the shiny metallic surfaces.

Paul stumbled backward. Betty covered her face with her hands. 

"Wh-wh—" he spluttered.

"Please," Nerissa felt the fatigue of her ordeal weighing on her for the first time. "Do not touch those things!" 

Paul looked over to her slowly. "Why? What are they? How did you get them?" He stepped toward her. "Who are you? Where did you come from?"

"Those are dangerous Relics from the land I call home," said Nerissa slowly. "They are powerful things—but that power will only corrupt if it is not used correctly. I am trying to find the man known as the Lore-Master, because only he can wield the Relics." She looked between the elderly couple. "The search for him has brought me here. Do you know where I can find such a man?"

They stared at her for a long time. She had tried to make her story as credible as possible; the realm of Earth wasn't known for having a commonplace knowledge of the existence of magic. 

Paul spoke first. "No, we don't know of anyone like that—"

Nerissa nodded and closed the case. "Well then, thank you for your hospitality; I will not trespass on you further—"

"Wait, Nerys!" Paul stopped her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You can stay with us; out there alone, you'll die. You can trust us." The emerald gaze held hers. 

Nerissa didn't know if she wanted to take that chance. "I'm sorry," she said. "You are most kind, but the longer the Relics stay in one place, the more danger you are in, not just because of my enemies who are searching for them, but also from yourselves. No human save the Lore-Master may touch these Relics. They need to be kept safe, and the only way that happens is if I am alone to guard them."

Betty came to stand beside her husband. "What if there was another way?" She suggested.

Nerissa opened her mouth to object when the woman handed her a piece of glossy, folded paper with the words "Museum of Fine Art" printed on the front.

"Our daughter works there," Paul explained, understanding what Betty was trying to say. "It would be the safest place to store your Relics, in plain sight with plenty of security."

"But what is a museum?" Nerissa asked, staring at the pictures in confusion. "With so many people, one of them could accidentally touch—"

"Not if you leave explicit instructions not to," Paul recommended. "A museum is a place where people go to look at pieces of art. If they are valuable or dangerous, the museum can display them in a glass case and nobody will ever touch them. And the donor is allowed to give specific instructions on handling and display of the pieces: handle only with gloves, maximum security measures..."

Nerissa gasped and stared at these people, these perfect strangers willing to aid her quest. She smiled.

The Williamsons were both grinning.

"You can send the Relics to the museum as an anonymous package," Betty suggested. "They will be right there safe from everybody while you search for this person you need to find." She handed Nerissa a thick coat and a woolen hat to keep her warm. "And you will always have a place here if you need it. We will never tell."

Nerissa nodded her thanks and turned away.

"Nerys," Paul called after her, "where are you going?"

Nerissa slipped her arms into the coat and pulled the hat over her freezing ears.

"My name is Nerissa," she called back to them, waving the brochure. "And I have a shipment to place!"

Serenity's Light, Part 6 >>>>

Previously in This Series:

Continuous Stories:

 

"Soul Mates": (Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3) (Part 4) (Part 5) (Part 7) (Part 8)

"Serenity's Light":  (Part 1) (Part 3)

Crossover Parts: "Rendezvous" (SM 6/SL 2) "The Viking and the Lore-Master" (SM 9/SL 4)

Single Posts:

#27 "Beware of Fairies"

#26 "The Tides of Battle"

#24 "The Novice"

#23 "Occupational Heresy"

#22 "In Loving Memory"

#19 "Story Time"

#17 "Stranger Tides"

#16 "Chance Encounters"

#14 "The Trial"

#13 "Help Wanted"

#12 "No Place Like Home"

#10 "Yellow Fever"

#8 "The Siren Song" 

#4 "Inside The Impact Zone"
#2 "The Artist's Wife"    

#1 "Red of Morning"   

Top 10 Movie Adaptations That Need To Happen In The Near Future

Pretty much the best explanation of what books are, from Jon Stewart

A good book can carry the sound of voices through your head that you haven't ever actually heard. A great one plays out like a movie in your mind. The last decade has seen an uptick in popular books receiving film adaptations; some were great hits, while others missed the mark rather dramatically. To continue this theme, here are a few more books I've read in the last year or two which definitely would be worth seeing! (Meanwhile, if you haven't read the books, click the links to see them on Goodreads and perhaps consider reading them, while we wait! For those with featured reviews here on the blog, I've included links in the descriptions)

Honorable Mentions:

Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer--Of course this series would be perfect for a film adaptation... I include it as an "honorable mention" because, in contrast to the books listed below, it very nearly was... and holy mackerel it has actually been confirmed!! Absolutely, yes. Pardon me whilst I freak out right here in front of my computer. Dearie me... This was a beautiful, fun, mind-blowing, colorful series that I very much enjoyed... I will eagerly anticipate its development and arrival!

The Ruby Red Trilogy by Kerstin Gier--This, again, is an Honorable Mention because it has actually already been adapted for film... in German, since that was the original language of the series. I loved the books, and I could appreciate the wonderful visual portrayals in the movie, which, as far as I could tell, did a fairly decent job sticking with the more important aspects of the book... but the English dub is terrible. So PLEASE DO THIS AGAIN BUT DO IT IN ENGLISH THIS TIME. Pretty please?

1. Grave Beginnings by R. R. Virdi

Of course, this one is always first and foremost in my mind when I consider the topic of "adaptations that need to happen, like, now." I have pictured this book as a TV or film adaptation ever since I read the first chapter. I loved the concept and the premise of the story, and I absolutely laughed my way through this paranormal crime mystery novel! It's about a disembodied spirit of a snarky, "average Joe" enlisted by a Higher Power to investigate the supernatural-related recently deceased--while occupying the body of the deceased. Part Supernatural, part R.I.P.D.--basically (for those familiar with the former) if Dean Winchester decided to take his demon/ghost/spirit-hunting knowledge and turn it into a covert operation, sort of like a less-reputable Harry Dresden (The author is a huge Jim Butcher fan). The sequel is due out soon, and I am just dying to see this adapted!

2. Foul is Fair by Jeffrey Cook and Katherine Perkins 

Another relatively new book, but my gosh it could be the next Goonies if it's handled correctly! The setting in urban Seattle, with plenty of ties to existing landmarks, and the band of worthwhile heroes makes this an adventure whole families could enjoy. A young teenager struggling with ADHD finds out (from a crippled pixie and her "service crow") that she is actually half-Faerie on her father's side--and what is more, she's a princess, since her father is the Unseelie King. It's a gorgeous world and excellent characters--I want to see it! I really do!

3. The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer

Words cannot express how wonderful it would be if this series existed in visual format. It totally combines the best aspects of both fairy tales and quality science fiction--specifically of the cyberpunk variety. I would love to see the characters and explore the richly-described world with my eyes as much as I have explored it in my mind. The series sort of takes as its central character a young orphan living with her widowed step-mother and two step-sisters, as in the story of Cinderella--but in this case, Cinder is an android, with mechanical prosthetics replacing the parts she lost in a terrible crash that killed both her parents. The series continues from there, adding cyberpunk counterparts for Red Riding Hood (Scarlet), Rapunzel (Cress) and Snow White (Winter), plus a host of other wonderful characters that I absolutely would love to see. It's a great story, and I think it would work extremely well on screen.

4. The Broken Empire Trilogy by Mark Lawrence

I know that this topic has been broached on Reddit, but I would have to say that, under the right circumstances (and not at all under anything less!) it would be completely mind-blowing on a whole different level than the books were (yes, they blew my mind) if just the right person were to come along and be willing to work with the author on making this a visual reality! Oh my gosh, yes! You really cannot beat a speculative-fiction/fantasy/post-apocalyptic world created by a research scientist who used to work in the field of artificial intelligence. (Not even kidding!)


5. Tiger's Paw/Leopard's Heart by Kimberly Rogers

... And from there, why not just make a bid for the entire Therian Way series? Oh good golly, yes please! I would love to see the amazing range of characters and races in the modern urban setting--particularly if the visual effects crew from Grimm does the costumes and the animal forms for it! I dearly love the characters and I very much would love to hear the delivery of actual actors speaking the utterly fantastic dialogue and doing all the amazing stunts! The prose of the book and the interaction between the characters is absolutely stunning, and yet the story is simple enough that it would lend itself very well to an on-screen production!


6. Sky Knight by Sandra Harvey

A surprising favorite from last year! I was absolutely smitten with the story and the premise and the fantastic world and the vivid characters. The grittiness of the dystopian setting fits well within the popular themes of recent films--and yet the moral message of Sky Knight is definitely stronger and more hopeful, more of the higher-quality "upstream" bent than these other films tend to be. Not to mention the fact that I am fairly certain of at least a few superb actresses who would be absolutely perfect for the role of Taliah Storme!


7. The Vemreaux Trilogy by Mary E. Twomey

In an age when dystopian Young Adult fiction is popular in book and film--and yet each new "hit" seems remarkably similar to the last one--this trilogy would definitely stand out, what with the unique premise and the inventive world, and most of all the amazing characters. I mean, seriously, people--we've had future societies divided into personality types and regional exports... How about blood type? An alternate history in which Ponce de Leon did discover the Fountain of Youth, but it only stalls the aging process in those of a certain blood type... and the main "Chosen One" destined to defy the tyranny of these "superior bloods" is certainly not your typical hero... I haven't finished the trilogy but I can't wait!

8. Uprooted by Naomi Novik

I picked this one up on a whim, having no idea what it would actually be like--the promise of dragons was too good to pass up, though. What I got was a fairy tale experience like no other. It was both a fresh tale and the wonderful classic style of traditional folk tales. A unique adventure--with all the "re-adapting" of movie adaptations of fantasy classic films going on these days, I think somebody should wake up and decide that it's high time to create new stories and explore new worlds, rather than re-hashing old ones--and Uprooted is a prime candidate!


9. The Reckoners Series by Brandon Sanderson

... Because if any author is totally MADE for easing into the film industry, it's Brandon Sanderson--and specifically the Reckoners novels because out of all Sanderson has written there is just too much risk of Mistborn becoming a terrible "Lord of The Rings"-meets-"Divergent" mashup and that just would not be good for it. If you haven't read the Reckoners novels--Steelheart, Firefight, and the third one due out any day now, Calamity--then it is high time you did. The adaptations of previous Young Adult novels that have been released have served to showcase some excellent talent that would be the perfect age for the main characters in this series! P.S. I would also accept an adaptation of The Rithmatist, because LIVING, MOVING, DEADLY CHALK DRAWINGS, PEOPLE!!

10. For None of Woman Born by S. D. Curran

In spite of the Shakespeare reference in the title, this is actually superb speculative science fiction. Forget Ex Machina and CHAPPiE--Here's another indie read I reviewed last year that I would dearly love to see on the silver screen before I die! The moral ethics of cloning, when business gets mixed up in theoretical science, a thrilling manhunt that will have audiences on the edge of their seats... Oh yes, I can see it--and I want everyone else to see it, too!

How about you? What are some of your favorite books that you wish could be adapted into movies? Let me know in the comments!

The Suggestion Box, Vol. 3: "One Thousand Words" List #27

Secret Lake, by Kechake

Suggested by: Jessica Richardson

The List:

Treenia

The wilds of 'lost scotland'

Modern times

A deposit of blue clay

The Result:

"Beware of Fairies"

"Welcome to Inverness, Mr. Cartwright!" he rumbled in a thunderous voice.

William Cartwright, a man of scholarly disposition and slight build, set down his travel case and shook hands with a rotund, red-faced man.

"Thank you for taking me in on such short notice, Mr. McCreary," Will began.

"Tis nothin', laddie!" The man assured him as he gestured toward the waiting cab. "A right pleasure, that's certain! An' please—the name's Ben." The big man folded himself behind the passenger seat of the cab, leaving precious little room for Will, tiny as it was.

"Take us to The Wilds, then!" Ben McCreary asked the driver. 

Will felt a small thrill arc through him at the name. The Wilds—it sounded like the perfect setting for the novel he was researching. He pulled out his smartphone and jotted down a few notes.

"So tell me, Mr. William," Ben pronounced the name with only two syllables instead of three, "What is it you'll be wanting to do in our wee town?"

Will watched the packed city give way to rolling green his and majestic valleys as they coasted down the road. "I would very much appreciate as much of the local culture as you would care to show me," he answered with enthusiasm. "You see, I am writing a novel about the age of 'lost Scotland', and The Wilds seemed the perfect place to do my research."

Ben nodded with a wide grin stretching at the sides of his face. "Aye, that she is! Ye had good luck in the timing, I must say—we of Cailleadh Talamh are in the midst of Féile Sióga: the festival of fairies. You'll get a right eyeful everywhere you look, for at least another week."

Will leaned forward and stared in delight out the window. As promised, the whole town seemed to transport them into another realm, as flowers, branches, and vines covered nearly every surface, and swatches of gauzy silk in many different colors flapped gently in the breeze, suspended over every window and door. When the cab turned down a side road and pulled to a stop in front of a quaint dwelling, Will opened the door as a woman in an ample dress, long hair braided down her back, advanced to greet them.

Ben nodded. "That's me wife, Reyna; she tends to take the fairies more seriously than most people ye will meet," he muttered as they both climbed out of the car.

"Welcome! Welcome!" Reyna cried, reaching forward with both hands to grasp Will's. "Oh, ye must be tired from yer journey; I've got a nice stew for ye, and yer room all ready, so just ye follow me, lad!" She turned around and led him through the front door, pausing to brush her fingertips over a symbol painted on the door. She turned and winked at him.

"For luck," she offered.

Will noticed that the woman—well past middle age—wore no shoes. He heard Ben groan behind him, and saw the man doubled over, removing his own shoes. Will felt the burden of instinctive politeness to do the same, but Ben stopped him with a noise.

"Tis only a custom of the festival, everyone removin' their shoes," Ben muttered. "Tis no great offense if ye'd rather not."

Will shrugged his shoulders and decided to let his laces be.

Reyna McCreary led him upstairs to the small garret where he would be staying. Will surveyed the simple bed and small chest of drawers designated for his use. A small window in the gable provided a view of the gnarled elm that spread its branches over the house. Will crossed the room to the window as Mrs. McCreary spoke.

"The washroom is next door—Bear and I use the one downstairs, anyhow..."

Will caught sight of a dry, brown bundle hanging next to the window and reached to pluck it out, but his hostess ceased her chatter with a sharp, "No!"

Will glanced at her in confusion. Her eyes widened to saucer-size as if he'd nearly caused a catastrophe. 

"What is it?" he asked.

Reyna didn't answer him directly, but gestured to the door. "Never you mind now; just a bit of herbs to keep out the fairies—I can take them down when the festival is over, but you must not touch them!" Her voice carries a grave weight with it, so that Will experienced a decided aversion to the idea of taking down the weeds. He noticed more of them, tucked into eaves and lintels all around the room. His writer's brain lapped up the idea easily. What a fascinating plot device...

"Mrs. McCreary," he asked as he followed her downstairs, "why is it a tradition to take one's shoes off during the Fairy Festival?"

She blushed a deep and rosy pink. "Eh? The shoes, you say?" She glanced at her bare feet, pulling at her skirts in an apparent attempt to hide them from view. "Well, that's just an old superstition; a fairy will try to lure away during festival season, see—but if you aren't wearing any shoes, then the cold of the wet grass will wake you up and you won't be in their power."

It sounded so simple and straightforward when she described it. Will shook his head. He could tell he was going to have trouble telling fact from fairy tale here in such an enchanting place—or perhaps jet lag might have something to do with it. He sat down to dinner with the McCrearys. 

"Bear was telling me—" Reyna began, but Will coughed in confusion.

"Excuse me—Bear?"

Reyna laughed. "Oh, law! That's just me name for Bernard here," she patted Ben's shoulder. "Normally goes by Ben—I'm the only one who calls him Bear."

Will smiled knowingly. "Because of his growling voice, right?"

"Nay lad," Ben himself laughed. "Tis because of my rich pelt!" He rubbed the coarse, dark hair of his head.

"Ahem! As I was sayin'," Reyna repeated, "My husband tells me you'll be wanting to see the festival tomorrow."

Will nodded eagerly. "Oh yes! I would love to see something like that."

"All right then, it's settled." Husband and wife nodded.

Will stayed up to chat with them until he was so tired he could barely keep his eyes open. His hosts bid him goodnight and Will wandered up to the garret and fairly dropped into bed.

The time difference still managed to get the better of him, however; it seemed only a few hours later that Will popped wide awake in the still, dark room. He tried rolling over and closing his eyes, but his body had decided that it wasn't going to sleep any longer.

Something tapped on the window. Will tensed; the tapping came from just outside, and he could make out the light of a round lantern. Brimming with curiosity, he stood and moved closer to the window. By the light of the lantern he could make out the form of a young girl in a long white dress. She beckoned to him, smiling at him. Will became acutely aware of his pajamas and his bare feet, and mused how silly he must look to her. Digging in his suitcase, he found a sweater and pulled that on over his pajamas. 

The girl knocked on the window again, beckoning more insistently.

Will finally made the decision to unlatch the window and open it, even though the movement dislodged the sachet of herbs from its corner. It wasn't as if any fairies would come climbing through the window, anyway.

The girl smiled at him from her perch I the tree branch. "Hello," she said.

"Hi," Will stammered. "Who are you?"

She traced her finger over the rough bark. "Treenia," she answered. "Are you coming?"

Will squinted at her. "Coming where? To the festival?"

"The festival—" Treenia hesitated, but Will couldn't tell if she was asking or stating it. "Yes," she answered, grinning and picking up her lantern. "Come on! Quickly!" She began picking her way down the bark. 

Will Cartwright had to admire the way the girl's bare feet seemed to find purchase in the bark. He shook his head and automatically went back for his shoes. From somewhere, Mrs. McCreary's voice rang in his mind: "Fairies lure people away if they're wearing shoes..."

Then again, he knew that the climb would be more painful without them. If he saw any fairies, he could always just slip them off again. Will grabbed his shoes and slipped them on.

Treenia waited in the grass when he finally made it to the bottom.

"What are we doing?" He asked, but she only laughed and grabbed his hand.

"Come on!" She took off running over the dark expanse of grass before them.

"Where are we going?" He tried asking her. "The festival is back the other way!"

Finally, Treenia slowed to a stop. "We aren't going to the festival," she answered, crouching over something and setting the lantern in the grass next to her. "At least, not the human one."

Will detected an area in the darkness that wasn't grass. It was lighter in color, and it looked smooth.

"What is that?" He asked as Treenia made as if to out her hand into the substance. "Is it a deposit of blue clay, all the way out here?"

Treenia's delicate fingers played over the surface, and Will's eyes registered a subtle shift. In the space of a blink, he discerned a second Treenia, staring up at them from inside the hole—no, not two Treenias; the second one was merely her reflection, on a greenish-blue, glass-like surface. 

She smiled. "It's not clay," she murmured. The strange girl bolted upright and grabbed Will's hand. "You're going to be my guest at the Festival of Mortals!" 

Will hardly had time to comprehend before Treenia—the fairy—stepped forward and dropped into the magic portal, dragging him through it behind her.

Previously in This Series:

Continuous Stories:

 

"Soul Mates": (Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3) (Part 4) (Part 5) (Part 7) (Part 8)

"Serenity's Light":  (Part 1) (Part 3)

Crossover Parts: "Rendezvous" (SM 6/SL 2) "The Viking and the Lore-Master" (SM 9/SL 4)

Single Posts:

#26 "The Tides of Battle"

#24 "The Novice"

#23 "Occupational Heresy"

#22 "In Loving Memory"

#19 "Story Time"

#17 "Stranger Tides"  

#16 "Chance Encounters"

#14 "The Trial"

#13 "Help Wanted"

#12 "No Place Like Home"

#10 "Yellow Fever"

#8 "The Siren Song" 

#4 "Inside The Impact Zone"
#2 "The Artist's Wife"     

#1 "Red of Morning"   

Hit List: 10 Times The Book Was Still Better Than The Movie

For all my raving about how much a movie can improve the visual aspect of a novel's story better than mere words penned by a single author (rather than characters shaped by actors interacting with one another)—really, when it gets down to it, the movie adaptation cannot exist without the book. In this "Which came first?" We don't have to wonder which is the chicken and which is the egg—the book necessarily came first.

Also, the thing we can realize most about books is that because books are not regulated in length the way movies are (could you imagine the horror?), one can absolutely pack as much extra detail as possible into the narrative, since one is relying totally on the reader's imagination to conjure ideas of what things look like, instead of giving them something to watch.

That being said, here is a list of my Top 10 Books That Were So Full Of Awesome Their Adaptations Cannot Compare.

1. The Princess Bride--William Goldman

The first example that came to mind is, of course, Princess Bride. This fandom is divided into several camps: 1) Those, like me, who realize that the story is not all about Buttercup and Westley—it's actually about a grandfather telling his grandson the Greatest Fantasy Tale Of Them All; 2) Those who had no idea a book even existed, but they grew up watching the movie; 3) Those who saw the movie, knew about the book, but were unamused with the edits and the running commentary in the "Good Parts Version" and would please like to know where they can find the original, unabridged work by S. Morgenstern—and then there's everybody else.

To Group 2, I would say: The book exists, and it's by the same guy who wrote the screenplay for the movie. And it is brilliant. You know the parts in the movie where Fred Savage interrupts Peter Falk and is all like, "What even IS this story??" Or like when reading the boring, stuffy "classics," how sometimes you wish that they had commentary and summaries like a CliffsNotes version, but snarkier... Well, this is kind of that. It's patterned after a fantasy novel pretending to be a historical adventure... But Goldman adds snarky comments and informs us when he's "removed" whole sections (Chapter 4 is my favorite... News flash for Group 3: THERE IS NO UNABRIDGED VERSION; S. Morgenstern doesn't exist; the book in its entirety is solely the work of William Goldman; so stop asking) and some people might not like it, but I absolutely loved it. It's essentially the same story as the film... But so much more.

2. I Am Number Four--Pittacus Lore

 I was intrigued by the movie trailer so I started reading the book. I had only gotten halfway through it when I actually watched the movie—and yet I still knew more about what was going on than the movie let on. With the choppy storytelling and the mediocre acting, one might not think much of the film—but it is a series, and I swear the writing is just fantastic. I am desperately hooked on the series. The movie doesn't explain things very well, and it sort of rides the high points... But not enough so that you actually care about the characters you should care about. The books, however, are intricate and well-developed. If you were even remotely interested in the idea presented by the movie, just skip it and go right for the books. It is totally worth it.

3. Percy Jackson and the Olympians--Rick Riordan

(nearly) Everything I know about mythology I learned from Rick Riordan...

This is another one where the concept and the premise were very intriguing—but the execution of the film left much to be desired. I came out of the film significantly less intrigued, but I decided to give the book a go.

Guys, I never looked back. Rick Riordan is a fascinating and highly entertaining writer, I have now read all of his mythological series (except the Egyptian one) and each seems better than the last. The movies do not even compare to the books. Poor casting (not to mention the casting/costuming changes that showed up in the second movie with no explanation—like they were just trying to pretend nobody would notice) had a lot to do with it, plus the fact that Riordan is very skilled at making his writing very clever and entertaining, and a lot of that stuff doesn't really translate to film very well... Apparently...

4. Voyage of the Dawn Treader--C. S. Lewis

After the rousing success of the first film, and the passable treatment of the second (rendered more acceptable just because it's my favorite book in the series, and they got all my favorite parts into it), I really had high hopes for this one. I mean, for crying out loud, they cast Will Poulter as Eustace! What could be more perfect? It does have its challenges, since a) it's at sea, not really a lot on land, and b) all of the strange and wonderful magic effects that happen in pretty much every scene--as I've stated before, the lower-budget BBC series left much to be desired, and I had every confidence that modern technology had really advanced to be able to do the film justice.

Not even close. Out of the three adaptations, the plot of the film deviated the most from its source. The resulting movie is so hopped up on pointless peril and overblown special effects that the story is basically unrecognizable as an adaptation, or even a continuation of the films already in existence. I can understand leaving stuff out because there isn't time to fit it into 100 minutes... but the stuff the filmmakers added to the story in an effort to bulk it out basically guaranteed it's placement on a list like this.

5. Eragon--Christopher Paolini

I was excited (at first!) to discover this book, because a) DRAGONS and b) it was the first fantasy book recommended to me by an adult, who positively raved about this book published by a homeschooler with an affinity for high fantasy--I read the book till I fell asleep, and then I finished it the next morning when I woke up. It was definitely cool, and I could forgive the distinct impression of a Lord of the Rings rip-off (without the whole big quest thing... and basically with the Fellowship reduced to a young dragon rider, his love interest, his mentor, and the Potential Traitor Who May or May Not Be Working Against Him). Unfortunately, the series basically died from there... I have read a sequel and a half of the 4-book series and got both bored of the fact that the protagonist seems fond of isolation and whole chapters of contemplative soliloquy, and angry that so much potential should be so wasted. But that's not what this list is for. The film adaptation of Eragon was only just slightly worse than the quality of the book, for just the reasons you would expect: there was just so much stuff that happened in the book that they couldn't possibly fit it all into film, so they did the best they could with what they had, and ended up with a lackluster adaptation of a mediocre fantasy novel. So the book was better, but only just barely!

6. The Inkheart Trilogy--Cornelia Funke

When I first heard of the movie, I had no idea it was a book, or even a series. All I knew was that it was a story about a guy who could bring book characters to life by reading out loud and I thought that was totally the coolest thing ever. I watched the film and really I did enjoy it--so I went ahead and placed holds on the entire trilogy from the library. Of course, as it so often happens, I got the second book before the first, but I figured that was okay, because I had seen the movie, so I basically knew the story, right? 

NOT. EVEN. I started reading Inkspell and got completely lost from page one... and I knew exactly why: they'd changed the ending. There were characters I didn't know, in situations I wasn't aware of ahead of time--because the movie had changed the ending so that it could be a standalone and they were never intending to do the whole trilogy. [Cue sad violin music] Hence the reason I added this one to the list--not because the movie was bad, per se, but because the books were better for the fact that it was a series and really went in-depth in exploring the worlds and the characters. Cornelia Funke is an absolute wizard at crafting a convincing and enchanting world for her novels. I loved it so much I was really disappointed that it would have to all be in my imagination, instead of on a screen. I did have the added comfort of being able to attach the movie characters to the book characters, so that worked out okay. 

7. The Alex Rider series--Anthony Horowitz

Picking out a movie for kid's night, we see one called "Alex Rider: Stormbreaker" and it looks like a cutesy kind of "teenage James Bond" type movie, so we pick it up. It was cheesy, and very clear that those involved were clearly expecting more from the film than what they got--

but at least the existence of the film alerted us to this cool new series we didn't know we needed. The movie adaptation wasn't all that great, but the books are just totally awesome. Anthony Horowitz is a very excellent writer (there are a few other books he's written that... not so much; but I can definitely vouch for this series) and the Alex Rider series definitely packs a bigger adrenaline punch than the movie ever did.

8. The Book Thief--Markus Zusak

I asked a friend once for book recommendations, and this was one of the ones she told me about. It has since become one of the "Books-That-Blew-My-Mind." First of all, Death is the narrator; second, the observations and musings of Death are as poignant as they are breathtaking. I seriously loved what this book did to my imagination. So naturally, when I heard they were doing a movie adaptation, I was beyond excited. I had been so taken up with Death's prose that I hadn't really taken the chance to get actually acquainted with the characters--and with Emily Watson and Geoffrey Rush playing the old couple, I knew it was going to be good. 

Ladies and gentlemen, it was REALLY GOOD. The emotion, the timing, the colors, the acting--everything was fantastic. In fact, the only thing that was missing... Yep, you guessed it: the full effect of Death's narration. With the visual aspect of the film, there wasn't that much need for narration, so a lot of it was spliced out, truncated, omitted entirely--and there are some "text visuals" in the novel that didn't translate at all onto the film, but I thought they were brilliant to read--so the book is better. Read the book. Then watch the movie. You will die happy.

9. The City of Ember series--Jeanne DuPrau

I discovered the movie because Saoirse Ronan was in it. I toyed with watching it--frankly, I was intrigued with the story: the world's population living underground for so long, they'd forgotten what life on the surface was like, till one day the resources run out, then a young boy and a young girl must work together to escape the underground and find the surface again. I actually think I did read the book first, though, so that way when I got around to watching the movie, I would actually know what was going on. But there, I ran into the same trouble as with "I Am Number Four"--the bits they kept versus the bits they took out ended up not explaining things very well, and jumping around instead of straight-up telling a story. Also, it was the same problem as "Inkheart"--somewhere along the line, somebody decided that they would just take the first book of the series and make it a standalone so they wouldn't have to do the others, so the ending was changed. Frankly, I thought the movie ending of "City of Ember" to be significantly weaker than the movie ending of "Inkheart." There was still the same lack of closure as if the series might continue--while it was obvious that they wouldn't. So in the end, the movie had no closure. *Note: The series is quite good--if one ignores the third book, "Prophet of Yonwood"; it is the only one that first of all tries "retroactive continuity" (or, going back and trying to fill in "prequel details" in the middle of a series) and it just didn't fit as well; the other three books, City of Ember, People of Sparks, and Diamond of Darkhold are all directly continuous, and they are fascinating!

10. Timeline--Michael Crichton

I have been a huge Michael Crichton fan ever since I read Jurassic Park--without having seen the movie. Since then, there are only a few Crichton novels I haven't read that I probably won't read. (My favorites are "Andromeda Strain" and "The Great Train Robbery") But anyway, I had known there was this quirky, campy movie called "Timeline" starring Paul Walker and Gerard Butler--so I read the book, because MICHAEL CRICHTON. It was brilliant; he never fails to fascinate me with his obsession over creating a huge catastrophe that hinged upon this infinitesimal object and some chance accident that happens to set the chain of events in motion. His characters were engaging--I was only too happy to watch the movie.
Big disappointment; the scripting was far more campy than the book would have let on. Nobody took themselves or their circumstances very seriously--and I'm pretty sure Butler's character was actually supposed to be Norwegian (or at least Swedish... or something...) The movie came across with none of the intensity of the peril in the book. Rather blah.

How about you? What movies have you seen, that were so interesting/disappointing, it motivated you to read the book to see what the "real" story was? 

Is there a movie you've seen based on a book you've read that you can point to and say, "The book was so much better!" 

Share in the comments!